Page Princess: SECRETS by Dawn Kirby

Title: SECRETS

Series: Serenity #1

Author: Dawn Kirby

Publish Date: 07.29.12

Publisher: Twisted Core Press LLC

Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance

Recommended for: 18+ due to violence and sexual content

Grammar/editing: C – average writing, probably self-edited

Received from: Dawn Kirby (in exchange for an honest review)

Tour by: Read Between the Lines

Goodreads link: Secrets

Date completed: 05.05.14

Description from the publisher:

Leah has locked away secrets her entire life; secrets from her friends, secrets from her mother. To Leah they were simply quirks. Little things she couldn't explain...phenomenal senses, light sensitivity, the ability to read people using their unique scents.

The darkest secret of all was hidden inside Leah. A secret her mother, Mia was determined to keep silent. Trusting an old friend with her daughter's safety, Mia kept Leah's secret well-guarded. A vow made long ago never to let the monster that took Leah's father step foot in their daughter's life again.

In a fit of revenge fueled by years of jealousy, Mia's secret is revealed, throwing Leah's life into a free fall. A trail of blood and bodies soon follow Leah wherever she goes.

Leah is suddenly thrust into a world she never knew existed; A world as fascinating as it is deadly. Beings foreign to her step in to protect her. As Raine takes his place beside her, he is forced to face a few secrets of his own.

Will they uncover the secrets that bind them? Will they succumb to the devil himself?

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I smelled the storm before I ever opened my eyes. I stayed as still as possible. For some reason this man who smelled like rain intrigued me. Now that I could keep my eyes open, I wanted to find out why I found him so captivating.

Luckily, it was late in the afternoon so the sun’s rays weren’t an issue for me. In fact I used the soft sunlight to my advantage. The man stood in front of the window, his back to me, his arms crossed in front of him. Seeing his shirt taught against the muscles in his back told me as much. A dark blue haze surrounded his entire body. The few times I’d seen blue was when someone was worried or depressed. Despite the blue surrounding him, his heartbeat was slow and calm, as if he were content.

He was a couple of inches taller than David, maybe six foot nine and as muscular as Kale. They had the same trim build, only this man looked stronger. He had thick, light brown shoulder length hair and beautifully tanned skin. I thought I may be looking at one of Kale’s brothers. He had said something about a little brother, but not an older one.

I sat up as quietly as I could. It wasn’t that hard in the silk sheets. I wanted to get a good look at his face when he turned around. “Thank you,” I finally said.

He turned slightly, his eyes drawing me in. They were the color of a thundercloud. Shades of blue and gray mixed together creating the turbulent storm brewing in his eyes. He had perfectly chiseled features. To me, it looked like an artist had lovingly sculpted his gorgeous face. There wasn’t a flaw on it.

“For what? I haven’t done anything,” he said puzzled. His voice was as deep and as smooth as it had been this morning.

“You brought me in earlier,” I explained. “Thank you.”

He frowned and leaned back against the window frame. His arms still crossed in front of him. I’d already seen Kale take that same stance. He was trying to figure out how I knew. As far as he was concerned I had been sound asleep.

“How do you know? A lot of people live here, it could have been anybody.”

He thought he’d made a good point. The half-smile said as much, but I had a couple of tricks up my sleeve no one else knew about. With anybody else I would have kept it to myself, but for him I felt like divulging my secret was safe. I had the feeling he wouldn’t judge me.

“Your smell.”

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This is book one in the Serenity Series and the will need to be read in order. This does not end in a cliff-hanger, but you will want the next book ASAP; I know I do!

Haven’t we all felt as though the people around us were keeping secrets at one time or another, especially when we were young adults? For Leah, the secrets her mother has kept have helped to keep them safe, but when their safety is finally compromised anyway, will knowing the secrets make a difference? Was her mother right to have these secrets for so long?

I loved this story. It was great wondering how Leah had all of these traits of a vampire without being one. After all vampires are just stories, right? I know, for myself, I kept asking, “What is she?” I thought the pace of the story was perfectly measured from beginning to end, but especially enjoyed the edge-of-the-seat speed engendered during the climaxes. There were a few tears, but there was some laugh-out-loud moments as well. Ms. Kirby does snarky very well!

Ms. Kirby is a consummate story-teller. I look forward to reading more of her stories.

The Serenity Series: